What do people usually think of when they think of the North? - Autumn in Hanoi, the scent of green rice; terraced fields or rugged roads surrounded by mountains, hills, rivers and streams... If you have ever thought of the North with such things, let Adrian Anh Tuan and Son Doan open up for you... a whole new horizon.
Northern tourism is a vast picture and also a fertile land for those who love to experience. However, the typical "quality" of the North is not easy for everyone to feel in 1-2 days or 1-2 times coming here. To be safe, people often look for familiar places, typical things and delicious dishes that everyone knows for the first time "listening" to the North.
Amidst the familiar colors, the novel travel picture of Adrian Anh Tuan and Son Doan appears like a breath of fresh air refreshing the Northern summer. The trip of designer Adrian Anh Tuan and his partner lasted 7 days, briefly summarized by the name “North – The Day of Return”.
Northern summer becomes very special in the return journey of designer Adrian Anh Tuan and his partner Son Doan
The trip took place in mid-June, when the Covid-19 epidemic situation in Vietnam was stabilizing, and many localities began to stimulate tourism. “This summer is very special when Vietnam is one of the few countries that successfully fought Covid-19 (in June, before there was a community infection in Da Nang - reporter)... This is also an opportunity for Vietnamese people to explore this beautiful land of Vietnam as well as contribute their small part to support the country's tourism" - Adrian Anh Tuan shared.
In this journey, designer Adrian Anh Tuan chose 4 destinations, some of which are brand new places on the Northern tourist map, namely: Chuong My. The 7-day itinerary begins with the first stop at the world-famous Note cafe with sticky notes carrying many different stories.
The Note Coffee, all 4 floors of the shop are covered with millions of handwritten notes from tourists coming here from all over.
The shop is located in the "special zone" of the Old Quarter, right next to Hoan Kiem Lake (Hoan Kiem, Hanoi). True to its name, The Note Coffee, all 4 floors of the shop are covered with millions of handwritten notes from tourists from all over. This is also the place where the couple Adrian Anh Tuan - Son Doan took "love-filled" photos.
After drinking egg coffee and enjoying many delicious specialties of the capital such as garlic-fried duck, vermicelli with tofu, etc., the couple departed for Bat Trang - an ancient ceramic craft village along the Red River in Bat Trang commune, Gia Lam, Hanoi. Here, the two experienced for the first time the famous ceramic craft in the North. MTK Adrian Anh Tuan did not hesitate to express his admiration for the perseverance and meticulousness of the artisans.
Bat Trang pottery village appears with fresher colors. It turns out that a traditional and ancient craft village also has many beautiful "check-in" locations.
On the second day, the designer began his journey to a new location, a homestay in Chuong My district, more than an hour away from the center of Hanoi. The house is called Rua's House with the typical architecture of ancient houses in the North. Particularly outstanding is the house located on the top of a mountain, all activities seem to be completely separate from the bustling life of the city.
The old house has 3 rooms, in front of the porch there is a small fish pond, charming scenery.
Both had moments of relaxation, enjoying the peace.
Unexpectedly, in the suburbs of Hanoi, there is such a "romantic" destination.
After a hearty meal cooked by the housekeeper, the designer couple set off to climb Tram Mountain, about 20 minutes from home. The mountain is quite easy to climb, the scenery is "fascinating", and has been a popular check-in spot for many young people.
On the third day, the couple traveled 4 hours to the Legacy Yen Tu resort (Quang Ninh), where designer Adrian Anh Tuan once held a show. As a familiar location that held many memories for the two, this time back, the couple was determined to find unique angles to ensure the creation of photos "that no other tourist here has had like theirs".
One of the favorite spots at the resort is the photogenic swimming pool. To get a good shot, the couple had to get up early in the morning, when the sun was just rising.
No one recognizes a quiet, traditional Yen Tu...
Unique camera angles create memorable photos
Saying goodbye to Yen Tu, the couple got in the car and headed straight to Ninh Binh. It is no longer a strange destination in the North, but to have the best experience in this land, Adrian tried to come here at the right time of the rice harvest season to see Ninh Binh at its most beautiful.
Climbing to the top of the mountain, the scenery is as beautiful as a dream, this is also an opportunity to see a beautiful Vietnam, which many people may have accidentally forgotten for a long time.
The next day, the couple woke up early to start their journey to explore Tam Coc – Bich Dong, two famous landscapes of Ninh Binh. The designer advised tourists who come to Ninh Binh in the summer to avoid the heat, everyone should depart early in the morning, at this time, the scenery is clear and people are more excited.
An ancient house in Ninh Binh was unexpectedly discovered when a couple... got lost.
The fresh colors of Adrian's return to explore the North were expressed through every little detail. Not only did he visit brand new places, but he also discovered extremely interesting things right at the old places. Scenes he accidentally encountered while getting lost; the old house by the river of a farmer... but things that seemed so normal, that no one paid attention to, became the source of inspiration to create extremely poetic photos for the couple who loved to travel.
On this trip, Adrian Anh Tuan and Son Doan together painted a picture of the Northern summer that was both simple and authentic, yet also new and interesting. Adrian shared that, in fact, no place can become boring if we know how to renew it. Taking the time to learn and discover things that few people notice is sometimes the "true love" of a trip.
